Bite Club: Peppermint pickle from Munchiez
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A peppermint pickle from Munchiez. Photo: Monica Eng/Axiols
👋 Hey, it's Monica. I've been wondering about peppermint pickles for decades.
- Locals have traditionally made them at home or purchased them from home-based candy shops on the South and West sides.
- And the Tribune had minimal luck tracking down the history and purveyors of the South Side snack a few years ago.
The bite: Just in time for the holidays, I finally found my first at Munchiez Chicago Cereal Bar on 95th in Beverly.
What they're saying: "I grew up in one of those home candy stores," Munchiez co-owner Keenan Cole tells Axios. "So when we opened, we wanted to have that same kind of stuff you'd find in one."
The verdict: The peppermint pickles ($2.50) are made to order (watch here), so they don't absorb a ton of peppermint flavor right away.
- But if you leave the pickle in the fridge for a few days and slice it into rings, you get a sweet, sour and minty holiday appetizer with a fun story.
Of note: I think I ate it wrong. Veteran TV anchor Hosea Sanders told me on Facebook, "We used to hold them the opposite way (pickle in hand), so we got the peppermint taste first…then together."
- D'oh! Now I'll be saving my candy canes to keep practicing.
What's next: We'll dig into more whimsical offerings, like cereal milkshakes, from Munchiez, started by Qiana Allen to develop entrepreneurship in her two sons during the pandemic.
